Maid for You
by xiuhans
Summary: AU. Kyoko finds herself in quite the predicament after Sho. However, she then finds a solution to her problems. The job? She'll have to cook for, live with, and take care of Tsuruga Ren, the ultra famous businessman, the president of the company LME.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1.

Disclaimer: I don't own Skip Beat. This is just an AU fanfiction to entertain myself, and hopefully the readers also.

In this story, Sho and Ren are both businessmen. Sho is rising in ranks in Atatoki, and Ren is the president LME.

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><p>Mogami Kyoko was fuming. In a blind fit of rage, she had quit all of her jobs shortly after being forced out of Atatoki. That stupid Shoutaro! He had called her plain, boring, and had said that she had lacked sex appeal! And then after all she did for him, working multiple jobs day and night and skipping her high school education to support him and his ridiculously expensive apartment, he just dismissed her and was going to leave her? All this time, Kyoko had harbored deep feelings for him, and he was willing to treat her like a tissue – just throwing her away after he was done using her. She had declared that she would get her revenge on him – right before she was dragged out of the building, that is. In her state of fury, she had quit her jobs. Now, she had nowhere to live and no source of income.<p>

Kyoko sighed, upset at Sho for putting her in this predicament, and upset at herself for being so naïve. She was forcing herself to calm down so that she would be able to think of what to do next. She had enough money in the bank to live in a hotel for a few days. However, it would have to be really cheap, since she had no idea how long it might take to get a job. Hopefully one of her jobs would provide boarding for her. She would have to take up many part time jobs since she wasn't old enough for a full time job. Kyoko couldn't even go back to school because she had no money to spare, not even for a public school. Times would be tough for her, but she would just have to be strong.

She now stood in front of her former apartment building, a suitcase in one hand that contained all of her belongings. Unfortunately, she had had to return the bike she had been using to Darumaya when she quit, so there went her speedy form of transportation. A small purse that contained the basic contents, as well as copies of her resume that she had printed out earlier was slung around her body. The suitcase was rather small; she didn't bring a lot from Kyoto and she spent her extra money on either Sho merchandise or things to please Sho, such as his stupid pudding. Kyoko's fist clenched as she started to get riled up again. _'No,' _she thought, _'I have to focus on finding a job now.'_ With another deep breath, she approached a man that was about to throw away his newspaper.

"Excuse me, mister, but would you mind if I had that newspaper?" she asked.

The man shook his head before handing the paper to her after saying, "Here you go."

After thanking him, Kyoko moved herself to a nearby bench, dragging her suitcase behind her. She flipped through the pages until she reached the Classifieds that listed jobs. She scanned through the ads, most of them requiring education that she did not have. However, one of them caught her attention. It asked for 'someone that has proficient skills in cooking, cleaning, and other housekeeping skills. Must also be very organized'. The requirements fit Kyoko perfectly, and she decided that she would apply for that job. However, it didn't give a job name or description, and the only other thing that it said was the company that was hiring and the address of the building.

When the sixteen year old saw the company that was stated, her eyes widened in recognition. Was she really going to apply for LME, the rival company of Atatoki? The one whose president was none other than Tsuruga Ren, the most eligible bachelor in Japan, eternal enemy of Sho? Kyoko shook her head. What was she thinking? Her allegiance was not with Sho any more; in fact, it was quite the opposite. If she worked for this company, it would kill two birds with one stone. Getting this job could potentially help her get that revenge she had declared, as well as help support her enough to rent a place.

Now determined to get this unknown job, Kyoko instinctively looked around for her bike. Darn it, she returned it already! Still wanting to get there as quickly as possible, she took off at a lightning speed, her suitcase bouncing behind her, trying to keep up. People on the sidewalk could easily report that there seemed to be something speeding past them, kicking up wind and dirt as it did so.

In record time, Kyoko found herself in front of the LME building. She had to take her suitcase with her because she didn't want any chance of it being stolen. She found herself smoothing out strands of her hair that had become misplaced during the run, trying to make herself more presentable. Steeling her determination, she pushed open the double doors and walked up to the two receptionists at the front.

"Hello, I'm here because I saw a classified in the newspaper for a job here," she said.

When she didn't see a look of recognition the receptionists' faces, Kyoko exclaimed, "Oh, here's the newspaper." She smoothed the paper out on the counter and pointed to the ad.

This seemed to jog their memory as the receptionist on the left eyed Kyoko up and down before failing miserably at hiding a snicker. The other receptionist, the older one, nodded, then picked up the phone and dialed a number. After a moment of talking that Kyoko couldn't really make out, the receptionist told her, "Ah, yes. Just go to the twelfth floor, first room on the right. Someone will be there to interview you."

Kyoko nodded in thanks, surprised that she didn't need an appointment, especially with a large, famous company like LME. However, she definitely wasn't going to complain. Her first impressions of the place were very good, but the way that the younger receptionist was staring at her was a bit unsettling. Kyoko made her way to the elevator and found that the twelfth floor was actually the top floor. The elevator was actually quite large, and seemed, like nearly everything else in the building, to somehow gave a fancier air than Atatoki.

With a ding, the elevator reached the top floor and opened. Suddenly, Kyoko started feeling a lot more nervous. The elevator walls were reflective, so she stalled by fixing her hair and clothes again using the wall. She was really starting to have second thoughts. She really didn't look like she was going into an interview, with a face that was clean of makeup and cheap clothes that wouldn't exactly be considered fashionable. _'No. I need to do this,'_ she thought as she forced herself to stop stalling and to go out of the elevator.

Kyoko stood in front of the door that the receptionist had mentioned. Not knowing if the interviewer was going to be in there already or not, she knocked softly.

"Come in," someone from the inside called.

Kyoko's hand lingered on the doorknob before twisting it slowly and pushing it open, her resolve steeled. The room was medium sized, and the whole wall opposite the door was a window. It was obviously a room where small, personal meetings were held. On one side of the desk sat a bespeckled man that seemed to be rather young. When Kyoko entered, she bowed at the waist before taking a seat across the man, awkwardly dragging her suitcase along.

The man was the first one to speak. "Hello, I'm Yashiro Yukihito, a secretary here at LME. I suppose that you saw the ad, and you want to get a job here?"

Kyoko nodded before saying, "Yes, I'm Mogami Kyoko. I wasn't sure what the job actually was, but I think that I fit the requirements well. If you'll hold on a second, I'll give you my resume..." the girl trailed off as she turned and unzipped her purse. She took a copy of her resume out of the manilla folder and slid it across the table to Yashiro.

Kyoko watched the man's face for any reactions as he picked up the papers and started reading. After a few moments, he set the resume down and pushed his glasses higher up on his nose.

"You're sixteen? Based on the numerous jobs listed on your resume, would it be safe for me to assume that you didn't go to high school?" he asked.

Kyoko nodded the affirmative at his first answer, but felt rage boil up inside her at the mention of high school. If it wasn't for that stupid Shotaro, she would be – No. This was an interview; she couldn't afford to get all riled up and take out her anger on this random man who just happened to be interviewing her.

"Ah, no, I wasn't able to go to high school because of certain circumstances, although I really would have liked to," she quickly answered before her thoughts could turn more violent.

Yashiro watched her for a second before speaking once again. "I see. Based on your resume, it seems like you're qualified for the job." He flipped through the resume briefly before setting it down and pushing his glasses up again. "Let me tell you about the job that you would be doing," he continued. "Basically, we need someone to be the...personal assistant, shall we say, of an executive of this company. What that means is that the person who gets the job would have to cook for him, clean his apartment, take care of him when he's sick, and do other stuff like that. However, I must warn you that this person has bad eating habits, which is one of the reasons why we're hiring someone to do this. Do you think you would be interested in a job like that?"

_ 'Based on the job description, I'd be more like a maid than a personal assistant. The only difference between the job and what I did for Sho-baka was that I'll be getting paid and I won't have to pay for the apartment,' _she thought, a bit bitterly. However, it wasn't like she hadn't been trained specially for this kind of work at the inn, and she wasn't going to pass this opportunity up. Therefore, Kyoko replied with an enthusiastic, "Yes!"

Yashiro smiled rather warmly at her before standing and announcing, "I'll bring in the person you'll be working for, should you get the job." With that, he left the room.

As soon as Yashiro exited, Kyoko felt her body's tension go away, but her mind started working faster about how she acted and how she should act when that executive came in. As soon as she heard someone approaching the door, however, she regained her composure.

As soon as the tall frame of Japan's number one businessman stepped in the room, Kyoko felt her eyes widen. So this was Tsuruga Ren, that man that Sho had loathed, the man that the idiot also got Kyoko to hate and insult. That was her first instinct; to sneer at him, insult him, saying how Sho was infinitely better. But then she reminded herself of how much she hated Sho now, and how she had no reason to dislike Tsuruga Ren. On the contrary, wasn't that partially the reason why she decided to try for this job at LME?

Kyoko made herself come to her senses, and told herself to control her emotions and her facial expressions as she rose from the chair and bowed, as formal as ever. Ren asked her to take a seat as he did, and she found herself seated across the most wanted man in Japan. Kyoko was acutely aware of this as she directed her gaze at his face and waited for him to speak first.

However, Ren seemed to want to go through her resume first. After he was done reading, he said to her, "I talked to Yashiro-san and I understand that you don't go to high school, though you wish to. Though a resume is good, it doesn't show how good you'll be in application when it comes to this kind of work. Therefore, you'll have a trial period. At any time I can decide that it's not working out, but if I decided that the arrangement works out well, then we'll be sure to work your schedule as well as other things such as wage. For instance, you may attend a nearby public school during the day, and after classes end you'll come to my office. Then, when I'm done with work, you'll come with me to my apartment to do housework and clean. It'd be best if you could stay in my guest bedroom, but I'll understand if your parents wouldn't allow that. So, what do you think?"

Kyoko smiled warmly at the older man. "That sounds like a really nice arrangement. I'd be forever grateful if things ended up that way." She then looked down at her lap, thinking carefully about what she was going to say next. "However, I don't think my parents would be much of a problem, considering I don't have a dad, and my mom...my mom wouldn't exactly...care." Kyoko turned her gaze up to meet Ren's and smiled again, but sadly this time.

_ 'Ah. Could this be part of the reason that she doesn't go to high school? Anyways, now is not the time to pry; I can ask her later,'_ Ren thought. His gaze turned to the suitcase that was resting against the chair and he had a feeling that it was all of her possessions. He couldn't help but turn the corners of his own mouth up slightly in return. "Let me just consult with Yashiro for a second," he said excusing himself.

Outside, Yashiro was waiting for Ren's reactions on this young girl. Once the door was closed all the way, the secretary donned a mischievous grin on is face as he prepared to tease the tall man.

"So? What did she do? Faint out of surprise? Scream then jump on you?" he asked, the amusement clear on his face.

"No, Yashiro. She actually had no reaction to me, other than the initial surprise. She seems to be fine, so I offered her a trial period to see how she does," he answered, used to his friend's reaction towards him and the opposite sex.

"Ooh, so you approve of her? Good job finding someone that doesn't just drool all over you," Yashiro joked once more before getting more serious. "Since your work day is almost over, how about you go show Kyoko-chan around the building and your office, then take her to your apartment?"

Ren nodded, glad that his secretary had stopped his fooling around and had gotten serious. He turned around and was going to reenter the room, completely unaware of how this sixteen year old girl would change his life.

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><p>So, there's my first chapter of my first multi-chapter that I plan on finishing! I know I'm far from the best writer, but I enjoy it, and I hope you enjoy reading it, too~.<p>

Also, sorry if the interview scene seemed rushed or unrealistic (or any other part for that matter, like why a guy would skip high school to become a businessman O.o). Not only did I have to twist some elements to make the AU work like I wanted, but I'm also eager to get to writing the real Kyoko x Ren interactions.

Even though I've never written a multi-chapter, I've always thought that I'd set a basic plot line of the whole story, as well as always have two chapters written ahead. Neither of these happened. The idea came to me quite a while ago, but I never wrote it until now. I also have absolutely no idea how this will turn out, so we'll see. Also, I've currently written only a bit more than half of chapter two, though I know what I'm going to do with it and also have a vague outline for chapter three. So technically, I have written ahead, it's just a small amount.

I'm also kind of iffy on the title, since she's technically not a maid, but I really couldn't think of a better title, so I'll just keep it at that for now.

Anyways, please leave a review~ Reviews that say things like, 'Loved this, please update' are awesome and encouraging, but I'd really prefer it if you gave a nice, balanced critique. Telling me what you liked helps me get an idea of what I should do more / keep on doing, and telling me what needs work helps me either change it or cut it out. Also, please tell me what you think about the length of the chapter; if it's too long, too short, or just right. Thanks C:


	2. Chapter 2

**H-Hi there um I'm sure you all hate me now but please still read? **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Skip Beat.**

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><p>As Kyoko heard footsteps near the door once again, her heartbeat quickened. This job could provide so much for her. Not only would she get a place to stay, she would also be able to attend school. She could not mess this up. The opportunity was too good to pass up.<p>

When the door opened and Ren entered, she felt her heart work even harder in her nervousness. However, all he did was say, "Come with me. I'll give you a tour."

Kyoko's eyes widened slightly before her face broke out in a bright and sincere smile. Since she wasn't really sure what to do with her suitcase, she just dragged it along with her as she followed the tall man. She could guess that he really wasn't talkative at all, as he made his way down the hall in front of her in silence. However, that made it possible for Kyoko to fully take in all of her surroundings. The floor was a dark wood, something that was rather unusual for a building. However, most of the wood was covered up by an intricately done red rug.

About half way down the hall, Ren turned and unlocked the door on the left hand side. Kyoko took notice of the name card just outside the door that read, 'Tsuruga Ren' in large letters. Highly curious to see what the office of a big shot like Ren's looked like, Kyoko made her way into the room after Ren. Just a quick glance around the room left Kyoko's jaw unhinged. She wasn't sure exactly what she was expecting, but this certainly wasn't it.

To be honest, she thought it had looked fancier than how most people would decorate their own house! First of all, the room that the door initially led to was pretty spacious itself. Again, the wall opposite the door was made entirely out of glass, but there were large, gray curtains framing it. A silver standing lamp in the corner fit right in with the rather modern style. The most notable part of the room was the large flat screen TV mounted on the wall and the gray couch and reclining chairs surrounding it. In between them was a coffee table with a glass top and a blue and gray rug. In the corner next to the door was a pantry and a small refrigerator that Kyoko guessed held food and drinks, as well as a coffee machine. Was this really an office?

Ren seemed to know what she was thinking, and he explained, "I usually use the TV to watch for any news in the business world and such. It's also useful for entertaining guests that come to my office."

Kyoko nodded, albeit a bit numbly and followed a slightly amused Ren into the next room on the left. This room seemed to be more 'office-like'; it seemed to be where he did the actual work. It still had the same modern style that was found in the other room, with the same curtains and tall, standing lamps. However, now a large, silvery desk commanded attention in the room, with its two monitors and piles of paper. Sleek monochrome bookshelves that lined the walls also caught the attention of Kyoko. A navy blue sofa and its matching plushy chairs offered places to relax while reading.

Once again, Ren seemed to be aware of how amazed she looked, for he let out a light chuckle and said, "I can't wait until you see Lory's room."

Kyoko had heard what he said and replied, "Lory?"

With an affirmative nod, Ren explained further, "Our CEO. His office is the one that has the grand mahogany double doors at the end of this hall. He's a bit eccentric, and has a new theme to cosplay every day. You'll meet him some time or another." He then got back to the topic of his office, pointing to the two other doors in the room. "That's the bathroom, and that's the more private meeting room, which is pretty similar to the room in which you were interviewed. Also, the other door in the first room leads to Yashiro's desk."

Kyoko, still trying to take in every detail of his large office, merely nodded when Ren suggested that they go take a tour around the building.

The tour of the building took quite a bit longer than they had expected. Originally, Ren was just going to point out the different specialties of each floor, as well as specific areas that might be of interest. That plan would have gone wonderfully well, and they would have been done at a reasonable time, had not so many people stopped to talk to them. Nearly everyone that passed them felt the need to greet, if not strike up a conversation with the President of LME. And being the gentleman that he was, he had politely replied to each of them.

Now that their tour was finished, Kyoko found herself in the passenger seat of Ren's sleek, silver Porsche, her little suitcase under the front hood. She had found that he really wasn't the type to talk unless necessary and that proved to be still true in the car. Therefore, Kyoko found herself staring out of the window of the rapidly passing figures as Ren sped his car through the streets of Tokyo. Feeling rather worn out from the day's events, she couldn't help but doze off. Just as Ren pulled into his parking spot in the garage for his apartment building, she awoke.

However, as soon as they stepped into the lobby, Kyoko felt wide awake as she took in the enchanting surroundings. The place seemed to have a rather rich, warm theme. This was highlighted in part with the expansive marble floors and counter tops, the chandeliers, and the fountain sitting in the middle.

Kyoko soon found out that Ren also lived in the penthouse of the apartment building. It was amazing beyond words to describe it. Not only was it huge, it was also decorated so nicely. Kyoko could only imagine how much it had to cost him. She didn't know how many rooms they had to pass just to get to the guest bedroom. The guest bedroom itself was huge and held two beds. Kyoko claimed the one closer to the door by flopping her suitcase on top of it.

"I guess I should cook us some dinner, right?" she asked the tall man cheerfully as she made her way back to the kitchen.

"Ah...about that...I really don't have a lot of things to cook with..." he trailed off.

"No food to cook with?" she asked with a frown. "Yashiro-san told me that you weren't really good about eating your meals. And a man working as hard as you do needs to take care of your health."

Ren stood there for a second, a bit surprised at the younger girl scolding him. He certainly couldn't remember the last time that had happened. Hoping that it would placate her, he told her, "We can go shopping tomorrow. But right now, how about we go out to eat? There's a place near here." To his relief, she nodded in agreement and together they left his apartment.

The drive to the restaurant took but five minutes. Kyoko could tell that the area that they were in was rather high-end, and the restaurant seemed to be no different. The table that she and Ren sat at was near the back and in a rather private place away from curious eyes and ears.

If the look of the place didn't give it away already, the menu certainly showed the quality of the place. Almost all of the dishes were written in a foreign language, but Kyoko could clearly see the prices that were labeled and nearly blanched at them. But then again, someone who was the president of a huge company would have standards as high as this, right?

Ren looked up from his menu. "Does anything catch your eye?" he asked.

"I'll probably get a salad," she muttered.

Ren, noticing that she probably picked it just because it was the cheapest thing on the menu, couldn't help but reply, "Alright, I'll get that too."

Kyoko's head shot up, a slight frown on her face. "But that won't have enough protein and someone like you needs to have a lot of protein!"

Her companion repressed the smirk that came to his lips as he said with a raised eyebrow, "And someone like you doesn't?"

Kyoko's mouth opened and closed for a moment before frowning. "Fine then! We'll both get the heaviest steaks available! Happy?"

Ren paled at the thought of ordering such a large dish and probably being forced into eating all of it. "How about we get that salmon dish? It comes with sides, so it's more balanced," he said, trying to find a compromise.

Kyoko analyzed the dish description for anything that she would potentially find fault in, nutrition-wise. Finding nothing, she agreed and excused herself to the restroom while Ren called over the waiter and placed their order.

Staring at herself in the mirror as she washed her hands, thinking about what had just happened. Did she really say something so….insolent at a guy like Tsuruga Ren? Fretting as she made her way back to their table, Kyoko was noticeably more subdued when she took her seat across from the businessman.

With Kyoko being afraid of saying anything else, and Ren's taciturn nature, the two sat in relative silence until their food came. Ren, noticing how nervous Kyoko seemed to be, decided to start some conversation to put her at ease.

"So, Mogami-san, are you from Tokyo?" he asked. He was genuinely curious about what she had meant when she said that he mom wouldn't care if he lived in his apartment, as well as why she didn't go to high school if she wanted to, but he decided that it might be a bit rude to ask those types of questions out of the blue.

After swallowing a bite of her food, she shook her head. "No, I was born and raised in Kyoto. I only came here a year ago," she answered.

Ren murmured, "I went there for about a week when I was younger," thinking about that girl that had so endearingly called him Corn.

Kyoko's eyes widened at the sight of Ren's gaze suddenly softening and was a bit shocked as she felt her own cheeks heat up at the sight. Finding herself unable to control her blush, she ducked her head down, hoping her hair would shield her cheeks from him.

Clearing his throat slightly, Ren pressed on with his questions. "So why did you come here? Did your family move here for a job?"

Kyoko lightly shook her head. Although this made Ren even more curious, he also didn't press her for answers.

The two finished their dinner in relative silence, only making small talk here and there. When the bill came, Ren instantly reached for it, signed the receipt, and slipped his credit card in.

"Tsuruga-san, I should pay for my own food," Kyoko said, rummaging around in her bag for her purse.

Shaking his head, Ren replied, "No, this is my treat. I'm paying."

Having now taken out the purse, she started counting her bills. "No, it wouldn't be right for you to have to pay for me."

Though he didn't let it show, Ren was getting a bit frustrated. "Mogami-san, I _want_to pay for you." Seeing that she was about to protest further, he plastered on a smile on his face. "Is it so wrong for me to want to treat a girl when I take her out to dinner?"

At that smile, the female population in the room felt the need to look over and positively swooned. However, Kyoko nearly recoiled. _'He's angry! He's definitely angry! How can these other women fall for such a look?'_

She had almost recovered from her shock when he uttered those words. And then she froze.

At the same time, Ren berated himself for saying what he had just said. Would she think that they were on a date now? Why did he say that? It just slipped out of his mouth without thinking, and that was so unlike him.

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice saying slowly, "We're not on a date, right?"

He looked up at her again, but her head was ducked down so he couldn't see her face.

"No. We're not."

Even though he feared that she might be hurt at his words, he had to make sure that he made himself clear; otherwise everything would just end up being a huge understanding.

"Good."

Kyoko had raised her head and Ren could see relief wash over her face. Ren couldn't help but feel his ego a bit dented. Sure, he was aware that not every girl in the world was going to be attracted to him, but he had never met one that was glad to not be on a date with him. But then again, Kyoko certainly wasn't a normal girl.

Recovering quickly, Ren swiftly handed the check off to the waiter that was passing by their table. It seemed that whatever had just happened distracted her so that she didn't care that he had just paid for both of their meals.

After a short wait, Ren got his credit card back and the two made their way to his car again. Again, the car ride was silent. When they got back into the apartment, it was pretty late. Ren took a shower while Kyoko went around, cleaning various things. Ren was, in general, a very neat person, and mostly everything was already in place.

After Ren got out of the shower, Kyoko used the shower in the guest bedroom's bathroom while Ren reclined on the couch, letting the TV tell him what important things had happened in the business world.

Eventually the two both fell sound asleep, tired from the eventful day.

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><p>The next day flew by in a flash. It was Saturday, so Ren didn't have to go into the office for work. The first thing the two of them did was go grocery shopping, at Kyoko's urging. They had bought so much that not only did it fill the trunk, they also ended up stuffing a ton of bags in the backseat, and even then they needed to keep some around Kyoko's feet.<p>

The brunch that followed was the first time that Ren experienced Kyoko's cooking, and despite the fact that he disliked eating in general, he rather enjoyed the meal. Though he didn't tell her so, he thought that could definitely pursue a culinary career if she so chose.

They then stopped by a high school in the area and Ren easily made arrangements for her to take an exam for her to join the school. She had gotten a huge review book that Kyoko was anxious to start going over soon.

Despite not having to do any work for that day, when they got back to the apartment, Ren seated himself at his desk and got to work while Kyoko sat at a table, furiously reviewing.

Before she knew it, time had flown by and Kyoko realized that she needed to start on dinner. Sometime while she was cooking, Ren came out of his office and turned on the TV to the same business channel that he had been watching the previous night.

After giving the last dish a final stir with a wooden spoon, Kyoko made her way to the living room.

"Tsuruga-san, dinner's read-"

She didn't bother to finish her sentence as she saw an all too familiar face on the large TV screen.

"After the retirement of Kawaguchi Hideyoshi this past month, Atatoki has promoted Fuwa Sho to the posi-"

Neither of the two people heard what the reporter said next, as a crack resounded through the room before the remnants of the wooden stirring spoon were hurled across the room, making contact with the TV.

Dammit! That Shotaro had gotten one step closer to his goal, while Kyoko still had a very longs ways to go before she could take revenge on her enemy.

She clenched her fists in anger before yelping slightly at the feeling of pain. Temporarily forgetting about Sho, she raised her hands up so she could see what had happened. Ren, having heard her cry, quickly recovered from her outburst and made his way over to her.

Gently wrapping his large hand around her slender wrist, he pulled her hand close to him so that he could have a good look. A piece of wood was embedded into her flesh, much larger than the average splinter. That meant that while taking it out would be much easier, it would likely leave a wound that would take some time to heal. Ren gently removed the splinter, trying as hard as possible to not hurt her.

Kyoko sucked in her breath as he did so, and once it was out he left to get medical supplies. First he disinfected the area, and as soon as the alcohol made contact with the wound, Kyoko's had instinctively flinched away. This only made Ren tighten his grip on her and pull the appendage even closer to him. He carefully bandaged it up before letting her hand drop back to her side.

Kyoko ignored the tingles she was feeling on her wrist and said, "Let's eat dinner."

It was after they sat down and started eating that Ren asked the question.

"Why did you break the spoon in the first place?"

Kyoko lifted her face up from her food, and Ren was slightly alarmed to see her eyes darken slightly. And then before she knew it, she was telling him her story of misfortune, starting with how her mom always left her to stay with the Fuwas and continuing on, filling with anger with ever word. By the end of her story, she was positively ranting, eyes ablaze.

Once she realized what she had just done, she quickly pulled back her demons, sat back down, and sheepishly whispered, "Yeah...so that's why I'm in Tokyo now. That's why I said that I didn't get to go to high school and why I said that I would be able to stay with you."

Ren sipped his drink as he observed her. To say he was surprised at her would be an understatement. He had thought of her to be a reserved, traditional girl, aside from her occasional scolding about his health. Her story made him feel sorry for her, but for some reason he also felt anger. Not towards her, but towards her mother, who abandoned her, as well as Sho, who used her for his own selfish reasons. He was surprised at this, considering he barely knew the girl he had only just met the day before. Well, at least he had gotten the answer to all of his questions.

The both of the quickly finished their dinner, and Kyoko took everything to the kitchen to wash the dishes while Ren took a shower.

It was not long after Ren had gotten out of the shower and Kyoko had started cleaning, apron still on, that the front door opened with a click and a girly, high voice sang out.

"Ren-kun, I'm home~"

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><p><strong>Yup, pretty sure you guys hate me even more now. I won't give any excuses, but I will apologize profusely for making you guys wait so long. I thought I had lost this when my computer broke, but apparently I had saved it on my flash drive and I didn't realize until recently ._.<strong>

**By the way, who has seen the Skip Beat drama? I was so excited for it for three reasons: 1. It's freaking Skip Beat. 2. The two male leads are in my all-time favorite band. 3. It's a Taiwanese drama and while I'm not fluent, I can understand some Chinese.**

**But then, I couldn't even finish the first episode...and I never got further than that. I kinda already knew that it wouldn't do the anime/manga justice, but I watched it anyways. And I was so upset with the way they characterized the characters. I mean. Ren accepting a lollipop as a bribe from Yashiro before scolding an older man he didn't even know for leaving set to ask him for an autograph for his daughter and being unprofessional? No. And they made it seem like Shoko was crazy for Sho, not to mention Kyoko cried when she overheard Sho...**

**Yeah that's enough for that mini rant. If you've seen it, please feel free to share your opinions. I'm curious as to what you all thought about it.**

**And also, I've changed my pen-name and my avatar. If you know where they are from, as well as what band I referenced earlier in this Author's Note, REVIEW NOW SAYING SO. I want to meet you ^^**

**Also, I wanted to post this as soon as possible, so I just skimmed it and didn't really thoroughly proofread. If you find any mistakes, don't hesitate to point them out.**

**Thanks for reading and please review~**


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